Hundreds rally at WA capitol building in support of immigrant rights

Hundreds rally in Olympia, WA calling for protections for immigrant communities

More than 500 people gathered on the steps of the Washington state Capitol to show solidarity with immigrant and refugee communities, urging lawmakers to protect their rights as immigration enforcement increases nationwide.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - More than 500 people from all corners of Washington filled the steps at the state capitol building in solidarity with immigrant communities on Thursday. The rally in Olympia was part of the ninth annual "Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day," hosted by the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN).

"It is immigrants and refugees that are showing up, that are missing a day of work, that are coming here from across the mountains to turn that fear and anxiety into action and to share their stories and advocate for what their families need," said Brenda Rodriguez Lopez, executive director of WAISN. 

Demonstrators rally during Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day in Olympia on Jan. 22, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)

The demonstrators used their signs and their voices to call on Washington’s elected leaders to protect immigrant rights. Their stand for justice comes at a critical time when many cities nationwide are seeing immigration enforcement and arrests intensify to violent levels.

"We got to respond to that, and we got to respond to that as a strong, unified Washington that not only upholds our values and creates a welcoming state for all of us, but that thinks of us in the now, in the future, and that protects our prosperity," said Catalina Velasquez, also executive director of WAISN.

What they're saying:

During Thursday’s rally, Lopez and Velasquez said WAISN campaigned for access to healthcare for low-income individuals, regardless of immigration status. They also asked state lawmakers to push for pro-immigration legislation.

Demonstrators rally during Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day in Olympia on Jan. 22, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)

State Senator Rebecca Saldana, of the 37th legislative district, told the crowd, "That is why I am so proud to be fighting for the Immigrant Worker Protections Act this session." 

WAISN is also pushing for continued funding for its Deportation Defense Hotline. Every time a call comes into the hotline, it activates a network of resources and support, from legal observers, to connecting people to legal resources, post-release support, and even food and housing. 

Lopez said the hotline has received more than 350,000 calls since its inception, which has supported over 37,00 families. More than 10,000 calls were made to the hotline in 2025. So far in January 2026, there have been twice as many calls compared to last January.

"The need to call a centralized place, a trusted place, is more than ever essential. And the Deportation Defense Hotline does more than support our community members. It also shares community intelligence with elected officials, the attorney general, and it allows us to understand the gaps in services and laws, patterns of immigration enforcement so that we can come up with solutions together," said Lopez.

WAISN and its supporters said they believe immigrants are essential to Washington’s economy and culture and are worthy of their advocacy.

"Quite frankly, we’re fighting for our democracy, our ability to have dissenting opinions," said Velasquez. "We have devolved into a United States where basic rights are under attack. And if we don’t rise together, we might not have a democratic United States to wake up to and that affects us all."

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